


when the party's over

by shuhannon



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Even plastic lightsabers can do some damage, F/M, Fall Fic Exchange 2019, Friends to Lovers, Halloween Costumes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 22:31:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21260705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuhannon/pseuds/shuhannon
Summary: The bar was packed.Which to be honest, wasn’t a surprise. Halloween had fallen on a Friday this year, meaning the sleepy college town that housed Hanna City University was bustling with excitement and energy.* * *when rey’s ass gets smacked at a bar on halloween, her bff ben can’t help but to get involved.





	when the party's over

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QueenBumble](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenBumble/gifts).

> queenbumble/sithcharmer, i hope you enjoy this fic! your prompts were HILARIOUS and it was so hard to choose! in the end i had to go with the drama of ben coming to rey’s defense at the bar on halloween!
> 
> i had a blast writing this! hope you love it! 🖤

Halloween had always caused conflicting emotions for Rey. She had never gone trick or treating, had never even passed out candy or worn a costume for the Fall Fest parade in elementary school.

In fact, she had grown to hate the holiday as a kid. She would show up to school in her dirty clothes, the straps of her backpack broken and patched with tape, and her hair unkept and unruly. Her classmates would tease her; would ask her what she was supposed to be.

“I know!” Armie Hux was a particularly unpleasant boy who constantly appeared to have something foul smelling under his nose. “Niima’s dressed up like little orphan Annie!”

Instinctively her hands had curled into fists at her sides. “I am not!” Her protests fell on deaf ears, as she became surrounded by kids on the playground, all bursting into an off key chorus of ‘It’s a Hard Knock Life’.

“Stop it!” She hated the way her voice wavered as she yelled. She hated the way her cheeks were beginning to flush in embarrassment, hated the way a lump was forming in her throat, a sign that she was going to cry.

Rey always cried.

She hated it. Hated the way it made her feel weak and small; vulnerable. She hated the pity that people gave. She hated the way it made the other kids laugh.

Her first instinct was to punch Hux. To just reach out and start swinging her fists, hoping one would land on that smug smirk of his. But if she got caught fighting again, that would mean her guardian would be called. That would mean Plutt would lock her in the cupboard or withhold food or worse.

Just standing here wasn’t an option either.

“Leave her alone.” The voice was booming, mature for a ten year old. Then again, Ben Solo always seemed older than ten. He was the tallest in their class and always seemed so… so… _serious_. 

Hux tried to make fun of his large ears on the first day of school.

In return, Hux had received a bloody nose.

That was the last time anyone dared to mess with Ben Solo.

“What’s it to you, Solo?” Hux had asked, the smirk still present on his freckled face, though Rey could tell there was worry in his eyes.

“Nothing.” Ben had answered quickly. For some reason it made Rey flinch, the single word echoing in her mind.

“What are you? Sweet on orphan Annie, here? Hoping she’ll make your sun come out tomorrow?” It was a terrible play on words, the kind that only fifth graders could find funny and crude. 

Ben frowned. He took a step forward, jaw tight and Rey could see the fist at his side. She watched as he raised his arm, as if he was moving in slow motion.

Hux screamed, the sound shrill.

Rey had kicked him in the stomach, trying to mimic a move she had seen in some action movie that had come on the TV one night. Plutt had fallen asleep in his LA-Z boy, the remote stuck in his pudgy, sticky grasp.

The ginger haired boy landed hard onto the asphalt. The other kids scrambled; some getting lost before a teacher could see, while the others stayed nearby, curious to see what would happen next.

Rey was just getting started. 

She jumped onto Hux, sitting on his stomach as she began to punch, hit, scratch; do anything to try and cause Hux pain. Everything was red; her brain wasn’t even registering what was going on, even as she felt arms wrap around her middle, tugging her body up and away.

“Leave me alone!” Rey began to kick, fighting against the strong grasp.

“Rey! Rey!” Ben spoke, his voice low in her ear. Ben was the one holding her. Ben was the one pulling her away. “Cut it out! You’re going to get in trouble.”

Turning her head, she looked up at him in a mixture of shock and awe. Vaguely she was aware that he was lowering her, as the soles of her worn sneakers hit the playground blacktop.

The words became stuck in her throat. How did you say thank you? How did you ask why?

She never got to speak. Not when Mr. Skywalker was storming across the playground, a deep frown on his face.

“Solo! Niima! Hux! My office, _now_.”

Halloween was the day that she got suspended for three days for fighting on the playground. Halloween was the day that Plutt had been called to pick her up; had lectured her and sent her to her room yet again without supper.

Halloween was the day that she had to sit in the principal’s office, listening to Hux’s retelling of how he was minding his own business on the playground only for Rey and Ben to show up and attack him.

Halloween was the day that she had bit her lip, trying to fight back the inappropriate laughter that was bubbling in her chest. Because Hux was dramatic and over the top and so wrong but the adults didn’t seem to care.

Halloween was the day she looked to her left, to see Ben Solo slumped in a chair, his eyes trained on her face.

He smiled at her. A teasing smirk, similar to the one that Hux had worn on the playground. Except Ben’s was kind.

Halloween was the day that Rey gained her first friend. Her best friend.

  


* * *

“I thought you hated Halloween.” Ben reminded her for what seemed to be the upteenth time that afternoon. They had been costume shopping in Party City for not even five minutes, and already Ben was complaining more than an impudent child.

“It's… complicated.” Rey retorted, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth.She returned a Daenerys costume to the rack. Blonde wasn’t her color and who did that leave for Ben? He had the abs for Khal Drogo but the hair for Jon Snow. “But you know how Poe and Finn are. By themselves they’re persuasive. Together? They’re unstoppable.”

She heard a heavy sigh slip from his lips before the grumbling began. “I don’t see why that means I have to get dragged to this too. They’re your friends.”

Rey resisted the urge to roll her eyes for a split second, before giving into the impulse. “You’ve literally known Poe since birth. Don’t act like he’s not your best friend.”

“He’s not.” Ben quickly replied. There was a small pause and then, “You are.”

Her stomach gave a sharp flip, which Rey did her best to ignore. No need to unpack that right now. “Which is why,” Rey began to say, her fingers rifling through the clearance costume rack. “You’re coming with me. In costume. No more whining.”

“But Rey-“

“No more whining.”

***

Which was how Rey and Ben ended up in costumes from Galaxy Wars. With the ninth and final installment of the Starkiller family drama coming to an end.

Rey thought it was a good idea. It was relevant, topical, and the prequel trilogy had come out when they were kids, causing Rey and Ben to go through a crazed Galaxy Wars phase. They begged and pleaded for Ben’s parents to take them to midnight screenings, (Han fell asleep and Leia had to step out four times for work calls) and they had spent hours running around the Solo house, laser swords made out of cardboard in hand.

Besides, they both even looked like their respective characters, what with Rey’s brown hair and tan complexion, whereas Ben totally had the brooding, reformed bad boy thing down. Not to mention the costumes were comfortable, which lessened the amount of protests from Ben.

It was a natural decision. Rey would be the Jedi-in-training Kira and Ben would be Kylo ‘is he good or is he bad?’ Ren. What could go wrong?

***

The bar was packed.

Which to be honest, wasn’t a surprise. Halloween had fallen on a Friday this year, meaning the sleepy college town that housed Hanna City University was bundying with excitement and energy.

Rey had to park five blocks away. She was (as usual) running late, which meant (as usual), her phone kept lighting up with missed calls and unread texts, all from Ben.

_Where are you?_

_Everyone keeps staring at me._

_Why are bar stools so fucking small?_

Practically jogging down the sidewalk, she gets the trio of buns that her roommate, Kaydel had spent an hour pinning it into place. Rey just hoped they held, considering she had flat out refused any hairspray, seeing that she was already twenty minutes late.

By the time she slipped through the front door of the Castle, the bar was jammed to the brim with an assortment of witches, memes, ‘sexy’ animals and Targaryens.

Rey kept seeing black cloaks everywhere, but they all seemed to belong to Jon Snow’s opposed to a very specific Kylo Ren.

Then she saw him.

He was tucked into the corner of the bar, back hunched with a trademark scowl on his face.

His hair looked as if it was still damp from a shower, and despite the layers of black he wore, Rey could still make out the wide, muscular expanse of his back, which was turned towards the occupant of the stool beside him.

“Hey-“ She greeted, slightly out of breath and her cheeks flushed from the brisk walk. “Sorry I’m late.”

“I called you.” Ben’s voice was as sour as his face. He frowned, turning to face Rey. “I’ve been here for almost an hour.”

“I know, I know.” Quickly she held up her hands, the action defensive. “Kaydel wouldn’t stop fixing my hair, and I couldn’t find a parking spot. I ended up down by the movie theater.”

His features remained unmoved, as if they had been cast in iron or stone. Then again, Rey had always thought Ben resembled a marble statue, from the alpinus shape of his nose to his plush, wide set lips.

The man practically screamed historical hero from a romance novel.

Well, at least until he opened his mouth and hero became villain.

“I’m sorry,” Rey pressed again, moving closer towards Ben. She moved to flick a stray thread from his shoulder, before her fingers began to smooth out the fabric of his cloak. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Next round is on me.”

Already Rey was stepping closer towards the wooden countertop, motioning towards the bartender. She didn’t notice the way Ben’s features had begun to relax, or the way his eyes kept glancing between the hand on his shoulder and her lips.

“Two beers please, Maz!” Her voice carried over the sound of chatter and music, as the short bartender flashed her a brief smile in response. In a moment, two bottles were being slid down the sticky top of the bar, coming to a halt in front of Rey. She held the drink out towards Ben, watching as his eyes flickered between her face and the amber colored bottle.

“Fine.” He accepted the drink, raising the glass to his lips in order to take a swig. Rey did her best to hide a grin as she mirrored his actions.

* * *

Within an hour, the bottles had begun to collect in front of them in the bar. Ben began to feel ... not so on edge. He had taken off his cloak and pushed up the sleeves to his black tunic, his skin feeling warm.

If the bar had seemed packed when Ben first arrived, it was bursting at the seams now. More and more people kept filing in, crowding around the bar and table tops, laughing and talking. A group had even begun to dance by the old jukebox, not caring what decade the music came from as long as it was upbeat. 

“I told you this would be fun,” Rey leaned into Ben, her mouth hovering beside his ear. “I told you, you would have a good time.”

She was grinning widely now, her body slightly swaying to the music. Ben couldn’t help but to stare, his gaze drifting over the smattering of freckles that covered the bridge of her nose. Then his eyes dropped down along the slope of her neck and the curve of her shoulder.

Down to where her own tunic came to a pointed v on her chest.

Quickly he jerked his head up, looking elsewhere, anywhere but her.

“Dance with me.” She asked for the upteenth time, her fingers curling around his wrist. His skin felt hot under her touch, like the lure of a crackling fire on a blistering day.

“I don’t dance.” Ben hated himself for rejecting her. Why can’t he just relax? It’s just a dance. One dance. Friends dance.

Instead he remained rooted to the barstool.

Rey leaned in closer, pressing her body against his. “_Beeeennn_.”

She was whining now, drawing out his name into a groan. Except Ben’s mind went to a different scenario where she might be calling out his name. One with her spread, legs wide and body bare on his bed. Ready for him. Wanting him.

“Ben, daaanceee.” 

His teeth sunk down into his bottom lip, as once more he gave a sharp shake of his head. 

Difficult. Leia had always described him as being too difficult. Sometimes it was with a wiry smile and a shake of her head. Usually it was with a deep frown, the frustration evident in the hard lines of her face and tears forming in her eyes.

“Why do you have to be so difficult, Ben?” She used to say. She would ask his father and his uncle the same thing. “Why can’t he relax more? Why can’t he give, just a little?”

Maybe he wasn’t wired that way. Maybe he was stubborn, unable to move or give an inch. Unable to make changes or sacrifices, or to give any of himself in the name of compromise.

Except for Rey.

Rey had always been able to get him out of his box; to try new things or experiences. Rey got him to make friends (maybe they were really her friends, but he sometimes ate lunch with Poe or studied with Rose).

Rey got him to dress up as some outer space Disney prince that was a ‘new brand of sexy’ and go to a bar. On Halloween.

She was practically a miracle worker, and yet he balked at the idea of dancing. Ben would need a hell of a lot more beer to drink before even considering the thought.

Already she was pouting. Her bottom lip was jutted out, her arms folded across her chest.

Ben was familiar with this face. He had been saying ‘no’ to this face for over a decade. Rey could get him to bend, to compromise and change.

She could not get him to dance.

“Fine,” He watched her drink the rest of her beer, his eyes becoming fixated on the slope of her throat. What a tan throat it was. All he wanted was to nuzzle his face into her neck; to lick the salt from her skin and suck on her pulse points until it bruised.

“I guess I’ll just have to find someone who will.”

He merely stared as she turned on her heel, practically skipping to join the group of people that were dancing in between the jukebox and pool table. It was some old song from the eighties, one of the hair bands that Han always blasted in his beat up ‘77 Falcon.

Ben hated this song.

Rey seemed to live off of it

Her hips swayed to the beat, her arms moving above her head as her head tilted back and her eyes slid shut. She was laughing. Even being across the bar, with a noisy crowd between them, Ben could make out the distinct chime of her laugh. 

He could see the way her skin turned pink, wisps of hair becoming slick with sweat and sticking to her cheeks and forehead.

Maybe he could dance. Maybe he could consider it.

After all, it was for Rey.

He gulped down his beer before standing. Ben moved through the throng of people with determination and purpose. He just needed to keep going. He needed to not lose his nerve. Maybe if they danced, maybe if a slow song came on, he could hold her close and…

What the fuck was he even thinking? This wasn’t some eighth grade dance. This wasn’t the season finale of a CW drama, where the main characters finally admitted their true feelings for one another.

This was Rey and he was Ben. Best friends since the third grade. Inseparable friends. The key word being, friends.

Already Ben could feel his nerve slipping away. His pace slowed, as he stood on the outskirts of the dance floor, watching as Rey continued to move.

He watched her grin and push back the stray hairs from her face. He watched as she bumped hips with a girl beside her. He watched as another figure came up behind her. It was a taller man, with a pale pink complexion and vibrant ginger hair.

The man looked familiar. Especially the way his lip curled, giving him the impression that he was smelling something sour and rotting underneath his nose.

Hux.

Shit shit shit shit shit.

Ben began to push, began to force his way through the crowd. He knew Armie was at HCU too. Their former classmate had transferred from Mustafar last year. So far Rey hadn’t crossed paths with him.

So far, being the key phrase.

It felt like time was moving in slow motion. Ben watched as Hux reached down, his hand cupping Rey’s ass.

He watched her eyes flashed and her face flushed; watched as she spun on her heel, a verbal flashing in the tip of her tongue and her fingers already curled into a fist.

Except this time, Ben got to Hux first.

Ben wasn’t sure why he went for the red plastic laser sword that was hooked onto his belt. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe he thought he should give some use to the child’s toy which Rey insisted he buy. (“It goes with your costume,” she said. “It’ll make you feel more in character.”)

All Ben knew was that one moment he was across the room, and the next he was inserting himself between Rey and Hux, using the plastic hilt of his sword to sucker punch into the other man’s chest.

Hux screamed just like that day on the playground all those years ago.

Except back then, Hux didn’t have any lackeys or friends. There hadn’t been anyone to have his back.

Clearly that had changed.

A statuesque blonde in shimmering chrome armor stepped up to the ginger haired man’s defense. She, in turn, punched Ben squarely in the jaw, causing him to stumble back and fall to the wooden floor of the bar, knocking his head against the pool table in the process.

“Ben!” He heard Rey shout his name, followed by the strong voice of Maz yelling for everyone to break it up.

Then everything went blurry, before his vision began to fade in and out and then everything went completely black.

* * *


End file.
